Moths of the Andes - Utetheisa ornatrix

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Moths of the Amazon and Andes

Ornate Footman

Utetheisa ornatrix LINNAEUS, 1758

Family - ARCTIIDAE

subfamily - ARCTIINAE

Tribe -

introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour

Utetheisa ornatrix, Manu cloudforest, 1700m, Peru

Introduction

To be completed.

Habitats

To be completed.

Lifecycle

The caterpillars feed on Crotalaria, from which they sequester pyrrolizidine alkaloids, a group of toxins that, amongst other purposes, make them unpalatable to birds. These PAs are stored within the bodies of the caterpillar, pupa and resulting adult moth, all of which inherit the toxicity and are thus protected from predators. They are also passed to the eggs, providing them with protection against a variety of predators such as ants, and from egg parasitoids.

Adult behaviour

This common species flies mainly at night, but is often found at rest on flowers or dead seed heads in daytime.

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